Under Two Suns
by Dan Sickles
Summary: Trouble in the Outer Rim - miners on Carbide Four are dying, and Obi-wan Kenobi is ready to crush the deadly interplanetary drug trade. But Duchess Satine Kryze insists on investigating personally! Rated T for drug use and sex.
1. Chapter 1

UNDER TWO SUNS

_This is an adventure that happened during the Clone Wars featuring a young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Duchess Satine Kryze. Please comment nicely!_

"More trouble in the Outer Rim." Obi-wan Kenobi shook the sleeping female by the shoulder. "Satine, wake up! It's Joolah Plunk. He's selling Zooze crystals to the miners of Carbide Four. That sort of traffic is expressly forbidden by the Galactic Senate."

"But Carbide Four is within our economic sphere." Duchess Satine Kryze sat up on the deep soft-cushioned lounger, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Order my space ship made ready at once!"

"Are you sure? It's a long journey, and the mines are dangerous." Obi-wan hadn't expected Satine to jump into action so quickly. She'd been sleeping when he first entered her private chamber, her night attire showing off shapely legs and a stunning figure.

"In that case we'd better get going at once. Would you mind stepping out of my chamber so that I can dress?" Satine didn't mean to snap at Obi-wan. But his searching gaze made her acutely aware of her body's primitive response to his presence. Last night she had dreamed of being toppled from power, pursued by assassins, and rescued by Obi-wan Kenobi. Yet in her dream the proud Jedi acted not out of duty but out of passionate love for her. And she responded by giving up all her power and authority.

That could never happen!

"More miners are dying in the Red Sector than ever before." Aboard her silver spaceship, Obi-wan reached into his robe and put a glowing memory cube on the table. The recorded images showed clusters of dead miners lying on piles of rubble, their lifeless faces wreathed in a ghastly smile.

"Very clearly they were drugged before they died." Musing over the pleasurable effects of the drug, Satine studied the images.

"They may have drugged themselves," Obi-wan replied. "Zooze crystals are synthesized from highly unstable mineral ores. Used properly they allow miners to endure fatigue and go days on end without sleep. Used improperly they can enslave the innocent. The user experiences a brief sense of bliss and unlimited power, followed by absolute exhaustion. The blissful state never lasts long, so the user craves the drug in greater and greater doses."

"Thus causing greater and greater profits for the manufacturer." Satine saw immediately the enormous potential for her planet. The New Mandalorian movement depended on profitable trade. But not at the price of transforming poor miners into drug slaves!

Carbide Four was a brutal and lawless planet, but when the space ship landed Duchess Satine stepped onto a rich red carpet and was greeted at once by a smooth-voiced droid in glowing gold.

"Duchess Satine Kryze, we are honored by your presence! Will you and your companion accompany me to the palace of Joolah Plunk? We have reserved an entire wing for your private use."

"I'd like to speak with Joolah face to face." Satine lifted a slim bejeweled hand, shading her blue eyes from the white-hot glare. Carbide Four orbited a double sun and true darkness was unknown. It was a very hot day, and the droid's glittering gold armor reflected the light of both blazing yellow suns.

"Joolah has a face that's mostly a long, flexible sucking tube," said a rough male voice. "It's only good for taking nourishment, so he communicates with others by clicking his long sharp claws."

"Hammer Haxton!" Obi-wan greeted the tall, sun-bronzed stranger like an old friend. The man wore a wide-brimmed black hat and had a shiny silver blaster strapped to his side. His tall boots and faded garments showed years of outdoor wear.

"You two know each other?" Duchess Satine sensed something strange in the connection between the young Jedi and the rough desert outlaw. But neither one seemed in a hurry to enlighten her.

"Haxton, we have to see first-hand what's happening in the mines. Who's really processing those crystals? The two of us need to find some answers."

"The three of us need to find some answers!" Satine stamped her foot on the plush red carpet. The two foolish males were so wrapped up in each other that they hardly even noticed her!

"It's important to respect the hospitality of the locals, duchess." Hammer Haxton tipped his hat to the steaming hot Satine. "You go along with the hospitality droid, rest a spell, and we'll meet you this evening at the Double Sun. That way you can see what's doing in Joolah Plunk's palace while we explore the mines."

"He's undoubtedly got spies watching us," Obi-wan put in. "You go with the droid, Satine. He's clearly the latest hospitality model, 2B-EZ4U. Remember this is supposed to be a diplomatic visit. Keep up the image of a visiting dignitary."

"Very well," Duchess Satine said brightly. She swallowed her anger at the two men and smiled at the shiny droid. "Lead the way, Easy Four. And please express my thanks to Joolah Plunk!"


	2. Satine in Action

_Chapter Two: Satine in Action_

"Facts, that's what I need." Satine Kryze sat up in bed, pushed away the morning food tray and tapped a series of numbers into her handheld data finder. Immediately a long list of cargo vessels and shipment dates filled the screen.

"Good morning, Duchess Satine! I'm pleased to see that you have consumed both the liquid and solid portions of your morning nourishment. Would you like to soak in a fragrant mineral bath?"

"No, I want to get dressed and travel to these coordinates." Satine rose gracefully from bed and showed the data to her droid.

"Oh, dear," exclaimed the shiny golden droid. "That warehouse is on the very _edge_ of the inhabited zone of Carbide Four. Do you wish to wear formal attire? Shall I contact a security team?"

Satine shook her head. 2B-EZ4U had clearly been programmed to provide her with complete protection as well as comfort and luxury. "This is not a diplomatic visit. I plan to be in and out of the building quite quickly on my own. Please prepare a vehicle and set out my fitted Mandalorian coveralls for strenuous activity. I'll take a brief, cold shower and we will depart in ten minutes."

Zooming towards the outskirts of the settlement in an open cruiser, Satine was aware of shimmering heatwaves on the horizon. The devastating climate was the result of the double sun. Both flame-red orbs were already high overhead, causing the duchess to frown at the late reading on her tiny timepiece. Evidently her body was still a bit depleted by the interstellar flight.

"We have arrived at our destination, duchess. However, the warehouse appears to be abandoned. Sensors indicate the building is unoccupied and the magnetic doors are locked. Perhaps we should return later with a security escort?"

"No! I want to look around on my own. Stay here! I'll only be a minute." Long-legged Satine jumped out of the cruiser, wishing she had Obi-Wan Kenobi for a companion instead of the fussy gold droid. Last night before bed, she'd visited his chamber and told him that she wanted to start searching for the missing crystals right away. But instead of taking her seriously the handsome young Jedi had politely escorted her out of the room!

"We'll discuss the hunt for the missing Zooze crystals in the morning, after you've had some rest." Obi-wan kissed her cheek as he steered her to the door, his hand resting on the small of her back. "Right now all you really want is a good night's sleep."

"Right now all I really want is a good night's sleep!" Satine didn't understand why she had meekly gone along with his suggestion. She truly wanted to resist, yet she couldn't seem to disobey his gentle voice. The moment she fell into bed she was fast asleep. And when she woke up the next morning, Obi-Wan was gone.

Struggling with the magnetic locks on the iron doors was futile. Feeling frustrated, Satine decided to climb up on the roof of the warehouse and look around. Thanks to her advanced training in Mandalorian acrobatics, it was easy for the agile duchess to somersault right over the razor-topped fence and land on her feet inside the warehouse compound. From there she only needed to clamber up a long, slender ladder to the roof.

Just as she thought! There were pallets on the roof, holding gigantic crates with shipment dates and inventory labels matching what she'd seen while searching her data finder in bed. On the surface everything looked legitimate. But the clever and inquisitive duchess lifted the lid from one crate and saw addictive Zooze crystals. Satine quickly grabbed a handful of the glittering crystals and stuffed them in the breast flap of her athletic coveralls, just below the golden crest of the royal house of Mandalore.

Satine hurried to the ladder and gripped the metal bars, ready to slide with lightning speed down into the warehouse yard. She couldn't wait to tell Obi-Wan about her discovery. She'd casually toss the crystals on the table and tell him how she'd found them. Obi-wan clearly needed her beside him on a mission like this. He'd be impressed, surely. Would he invite her to explore the mining planet with him? Perhaps they could arrange a meeting with the crime lord Joolah Plunk. Obi-wan would want to discuss it with her first, of course. Perhaps he'd even take her out to dinner!

Triumphant Satine was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she slid down to the ground without seeing or hearing the great green Suzerian Serpent with the yellow eyes and dripping fangs. The flickering tail and the warning hiss came too late to stop her from sliding right into the trap.


End file.
